Category: Recipes

Creamy Red Lentil Soup

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Creamy Red Lentil Soup

This recipe is an easy way to use up leftovers if you have an abundance of cooked rice and/or lentils on hand, in the category of what I call #veganproblems.

Ingredients:

  • 1 and 1/2 cups cooked red lentils
  • 1 cup cooked jasmine rice
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Serve!

Jasmine Rice and Red Lentil Bowls with Tahini Sauce

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Rice Red Lentil Bowl.JPG

This recipe was my son’s first mix-and-match rice bowl! Hopefully the first of many to come in his vegan culinary adventures.

Ingredients:

  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 yellow onions
  • 1 cup jasmine rice
  • 1 and 1/4 cups red lentils
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • 1 cup shredded carrot
  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Thinly slice the onions and add to the pan; cook for 30 minutes, until browned; set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to package directions. Although not necessary, I stir in a little Earth Balance butter after the rice cooks to suit my son’s taste.
  3. While the rice cooks, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add the lentils and cook for 10 minutes; drain off the excess water.
  4. In a food processor, combine the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and salt. Process until creamy and thick.
  5. Divide the rice and lentils evenly among 6 child-sized portions (or 3 adults servings). Top evenly with the onions, avocado, carrots, and tahini sauce.

PB&J Smoothie Pops

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Smoothie Pops (4).JPG

So many schools are peanut butter-free these days, and I can’t slip this vegan staple into Travis’s snack bag any time soon. So we’re sneaking peanut butter and jelly into other times of the day! These smoothie pops are perfect for an afternoon snack – or even breakfast on a hot morning.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 1 cup sliced banana
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon strawberry jelly
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
  2. Pour the mixture evenly into 6 popsicle molds; freeze for 8 hours, or until set.

Smoothie Pops (2)

Unmold and enjoy!

 

PB&J Stuffed French Toast

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stuffed french toast alt

It’s hard to believe it, but already cool fall mornings are upon us, a little nip to the air as we’ve been rising! Make breakfast extra-special with this simple twist on French toast, and you’ll send the littles off to school with an extra spring in their step.

Ingredients:

  • 1 banana
  • 1/3 cup cashew milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon Earth Balance butter
  • 4 slices whole wheat bread
  • Peanut Butter
  • Jelly
  • 4 tablespoons maple syrup
  1. In a blender, combine the banana, cashew milk, and cinnamon; process until smooth. Set aside.
  2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. While it melts, prepare two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to taste – we like ours with strawberry jam best!
  3. Dip the sandwiches in the banana mixture, then add to the hot skillet. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until the bread is golden.
  4. Cut the sandwiches in half, and drizzle each half with 1 tablespoon warm maple syrup to serve.

stuffed french toast

Chilled Peanut Noodles with Tofu

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Peanut Noodles with Tofu (1)

Here’s the third in a series of recipes I featured with a simple tofu-and-bell-pepper preparation. We gave it an Asian spin for a final night of leftovers!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
  • 1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, cubed
  • 1/2 lime
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • Rice noodles
  • Chopped peanuts
  • Cilantro (optional)
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, cumin, and chili powder; saute for 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and saute for an additional 6 minutes, until the peppers are soft; transfer the mixture to a bowl.
  2. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in the pan. Add the tofu and cook for a final 6 minutes. Return the bell pepper mixture to the pan, along with the juice from 1/2 a lime, and the soy sauce.
  3. Meanwhile, cook rice noodles according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and set aside.

For each preschooler-sized portion, I served 1/2 cup rice noodles with 1/2 cup tofu mixture. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro to taste for serving.

Peanut Noodles with Tofu (2)

Orzo Pasta Salad with Tofu

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Orzo Pasta Salad

Here’s an alternative way to serve the tofu and bell pepper mixture I featured a few nights ago in a fajita recipe! For the cheese, I like to use Miyoko’s Kitchen double cream chive.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
  • 1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, cubed
  • 1/2 lime
  • Orzo pasta
  • Vegan soft cheese
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, cumin, and chili powder; saute for 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and saute for an additional 6 minutes, until the peppers are soft; transfer the mixture to a bowl.
  2. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in the pan. Add the tofu and juice from half a lime. Cook for a final 6 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, cook orzo pasta according to package directions: for every 1 cup of cooked orzo, top with 1 cup of the tofu mixture, and stir in 1 to 2 ounces of the vegan cheese to taste. Leave the cheese in chunks or stir until it melts to make a creamy, cheesy sauce.

Orzo Pasta Salad (2)

Tofu and Bell Pepper Fajitas

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Tofu Bell Pepper Fajita.JPG

We adapted this recipe from a Family Fun version with shrimp as the protein – an easy vegan swap!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
  • 1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, cubed
  • 1/2 lime
  • 6 small flour tortillas
  • 1 avocado
  • Non-dairy sour cream
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, cumin, and chili powder; saute for 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and saute for an additional 6 minutes, until the peppers are soft; transfer the mixture to a bowl.
  2. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in the pan. Add the tofu and juice from half a lime. Cook for a final 6 minutes.
  3. Warm the tortillas according to package directions, and top each with about 1/2 cup tofu mixture. Slice the avocado and divide the slices evenly among the servings. Top with non-dairy sour cream if desired!

Chunky Monkey Cookies

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Chunky Monkey cookies

We pretty much never tire of banana + chocolate + nuts around here. If you prefer your chunky monkey in liquid form, head on over to my smoothie recipe. These cookies will satisfy anyone looking for something a bit more toothsome.

Ingredients:

  • 6 pitted dates
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
  • 1 Ener-G egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  1. In a blender or food processor, combine the dates and water and process until very smooth, to make a date paste. You should have about 1/2 cup. Set aside.
  2. Combine the oats, salt, and baking soda in a bowl; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, mashed banana, and date mixture until smooth. Stir in the Ener-G egg and vanilla.
  4. Add the oat mixture to the peanut butter mixture and stir until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans. Let the mixture chill for about 10 minutes while you preheat the oven.
  5. Using an ice cream scoop, drop the dough by generous portions onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 14 to 16 minutes, until set.

If, like me, you’re a little tired when you make these cookies and end up doubling the amount of chocolate chips by accident, so much the better!

Sweet Strawberry Pizza

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Strawberry Pizza (5)

Pizza for dessert? Yes please! We absolutely had to try this recipe from High 5 magazine. It can take some searching to find frozen pizza dough that is vegan, but Wholly Wholesome and Gillian’s both fit the bill. Be sure to thaw the dough ahead of time, or you’ll be caught with frozen dough when you promised your little chef that it’s pizza time!

Adults: First line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Next, I enlisted Travis’s help to roll our dough into a large oval. The dough was a little finicky, but between rolling, patting, and stretching we got it into a rather free-form oval/rectangle on our baking sheet.

Strawberry Pizza (1)

Travis loved the next step – brushing 2 tablespoons melted Earth Balance butter over the top of the dough – this was like painting with butter!

Strawberry Pizza (3)

I had sliced 12 strawberries for him ahead of time, so all Travis had to do was arrange them over the top of the dough. I stepped in just to make sure they didn’t overlap too much, but otherwise left this step up to him.

Strawberry Pizza (2)

Finally, we combined 2 tablespoons coconut sugar and 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkled evenly over the strawberries.

Strawberry Pizza (4)

Adults: Bake the pizza at 375 degrees F for 23 minutes. Dessert is served!

Rainbow Slaw

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Rainbow Slaw

You’ll bring nearly all the colors of the rainbow to your next barbecue or picnic with this colorful summer slaw! It features unexpected veggies like celery root, which will help it stand out from the rest of the coleslaw crowd.

Ingredients:

  • 1 celery root
  • 1 package baby rainbow carrots
  • 2 cups shredded red cabbage
  • 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
  1. Shred the celery root and carrots using the grater attachment of a food processor. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, and agave nectar. Add the carrot mixture, along with the shredded red cabbage. Toss to combine.

You can serve the slaw right away, or refrigerate up to a day ahead.